Personal Growth

[google-translator]

A few ministers tend to focus on ministry goals exclusively, and neglect personal growth. That is, they pursue ministry related goals exclusively but never develop their personal interests. When we fail to develop inherent areas of interest, we may unwittingly thwart areas of future ministry. God frequently works “out-of-the-box,” using our unique and novel interests in ways that we never foresee. Sometimes our unique interests develop into a ministry, but they almost always serve as burnout prevention tools.

A young missionary child enjoyed working with computers and writing computer programs. He also felt called into missions. After finishing Bible College, he applied for missionary appointment and moved to minister in a foreign country. Never feeling totally content without computers nearby, he continued pursuing additional computer courses. As his computer skills and education matured, he grew more and more able to help others with their computer problems. Eventually, his denominational leadership asked him to transition and supervise the computer department at their headquarters. Many bystanders had believed that his interest in computers represented a waste of time.